One of things some do not know about Brother Ledeen is that he is fluent in Italian and has spent many years there. (Note to the avid: The Niger documents were in French.) Naturally, he maintains contacts in Rome, so it is no surprise that he has been watching carefully as a demonstration in favor of Israel looms in the Eternal City in response to the demented comments by the President of Iran.
The demonstration has been organized by Giuliano Ferrara, the larger-than-life editor of the feisty daily newspaper il Foglio, and the demonstrators will range from members of some Italian Islamic organizations to foreign minister Giancarlo Fini (long a bete noire of America’s “leading” newspapers and networks), just back from a trip to the Middle East.
One startling fact to me: only slightly more than 40,000 Jews in Italy. I wonder how that compares with Encino.
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5 Comments
1. Orson2:Did I see a Cambridge, Mass. sticker at lgf? “Israel off the Map” Would it be too much to reply with “Moose-limbs off the Map”?
Roger, an unrelated issue I’ve posted on before is worthy of your interest: the question of Scalia’s “fainthearted originalism.”
(http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2005_10_30-2005_11_05.shtml#1130967291) Will Justice Roberts fall into this trap? That’s my fear. Constitutional scholar Randy Barnett is depressed about the prospects for conservative control of the Supremes. (”Originalism in Crisis) http://volokh.com/posts/1130967291.shtml) I suspect Alito will prove the better of Bush’s two appointments. But this points out the risks of recruiting technocratic Justices like Roberts versus visionaries like Thomas.
You’ve simply ducked considering these issues, Roger. But in fact, reconsidering our history and considering alternative ruling regimes is inherent to this debate. To me, it’s the New deal difference of the authoritarian rule by men versus the framer’s vision of rule by law. Therefore it’s fundamentally important to defining America.
Returning to the topic of Judaism in jeopardy and the related one of the Europe’s Muslim Fifth Column: perhaps we ought to be glad Paris is burning, night after night. It pressures the leftist relativists to get a clue, and empowers those who reject their sophomoric “turn the other cheek” cheek. It’s like the long, slow, bottoming out of the drunkard playing out in Euroland.
Nov 2, 2005 - 2:57 pm 2. gumshoe:“One startling fact to me:
only slightly more than 40,000 Jews in Italy.”
not in Rome,but in ITALY.
that is stunning.
sheesh.
Nov 2, 2005 - 7:22 pm 3. Mike_Nargizian:Great article Roger.
More telling to me was the quotes from the Islamic leader who wrote the scathing Editorial. That’s the most important part of the article in my opinion.
Nov 2, 2005 - 11:47 pm 4. quickrob:I recently read an article from la repubblica (italian) translated at http://www.watchingamerica.com in which michael ledeen is accused of being part of the Iraq war planning, specifically regarding his attendance at a secret meeting of iranian, iraqi, italian, and american officials in Italy in late 2002.
Make of it what you will, the translated article is here: http://watchingamerica.com/larepubblica000009.html
The original is here: http://www.repubblica.it/2005/j/sezioni/esteri/ciagate2/ciagate2/ciagate2.html
Very wierd. IN fact, too wierd.
Nov 3, 2005 - 10:14 am 5. quickrob:Roger mentions Ledeen’s fleuncy in Italian, which prompted me to make the above post, yet I forgot to mention that part…so here it is now.
Nov 3, 2005 - 10:15 am